On August 9 2017, Singapore celebrated its 52nd Birthday. One of the highlights was Grandma Mary's Guitar Solo at the National Day Parade – Singapore’s grandest annual event. 81-year-old Grandma Mary, as she is popularly known, is an internet sensation, having cut her own Latin Rock album. She started playing the guitar at 60, fulﬁlling a lifelong dream to learn the instrument.

Grandma Mary is one of the many golden grannies who made news this quarter. These women illustrate that age is just a number, that old age can be looked at as teenage – when you can dare to dream and work to achieving those and that you never retire from your passion.

82-year-old Masako Wakamiya, from Japan was introduced as the oldest app developer at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Wakamiya's app, called Hinadan, is based on Doll Festival which celebrates the well-being of girls. The app is widely embraced by elderly women, who enjoy playing it with their daughters, nieces & grandchildren.

​Punching the air and battling with large wooden sticks, this great-great grandmother from china is a martial arts pro. Zhang Hexian, 94, has been practicing her combat moves for nine decades. She can joust with men half her age, using a large stick-like weapon.

​91-year old, Kimlan Jinakul, in Thailand has earned a college degree after spending more than 10 years studying for it and has received her diploma from the country’s king. “If we do not study, do not read, do not know, then we won’t be able to speak and make sense,” she says.

98-year-old V Nanammal of India, is recognized as the oldest yoga instructor in India, and the second oldest in the world. Around 600 students that learned yoga from her have become yoga instructors themselves.

​Trendy little toys spinning between little fingers is a common sight in schools across the developed world. Since it hit the markets in March, Fidget Spinner - along with its partner, Fidget Cube has captured the imagination and playtime among kids and youth. According to a recent article by CNN, the fidget spinners and fidget cubes held the top 49 of 50 spots in Amazon’s rankings.

They are positioned as a toy that can help kids relieve stress and help with concentration. While there is a divide among practitioners on this claim, some teachers found the toys to be a distraction in the classroom. Many schools across the world have banned or are considering a ban on the toy for its choking hazard or disruptive nature.​While skeptics brush them off as fads, the toys and everything related to them on the net - - a free app, scores of YouTube videos, related music videos, news, even nail art and philosophical lessons derived from the toy are going viral.

Unconfirmed stories of the origins of this infectious toy are also interesting.

​Catherine Hettinger, a chemical engineer, was initially credited by some news stories to have been the inventor of the fidget spinner based on her patent filed in 1993 for a spinning device. Her idea for the toy came as she saw young boys throwing rocks at police officers in Israel. In response to that she wanted to develop a soothing toy that could help children release pent-up energy and promote peace.​Engineer Scott McCoskery invented a high quality, precision spinning device, termed as the iPhone of desk toys - Torqbar - in 2014. Many thousands of Torqbars, manufactured at his garage workshop, have been sold. He claims that the fidget spinners are actually a flimsy spin off of his Torqbar.

​Whether the spinners are here to stay or just a passing fad, only time will tell. For now, if you have a crazy fan of the toy at home, direct the interest into making - creating their own toys, and their curiosity into understanding the technique - physics behind it. Check our website for leads and links.

Zohra, an Afghan all-girl orchestra is Making Music (& news), against all odds.What does one (30, in this case) do when one receives an invitation to perform at the World Economic Forum, in front of some top world leaders, corporate titans and the world media? Practice.

And what if one also receives advise for not practicing music and abuses even death threats for learning, continuing or performing music? Practice harder.Young Afghan girls between 13-20 years, performed a concert at the closing of the World Economic Forum, Davos on 20 January 2017. Their story is one of courage, determination and inspiration. Share it with your tweens and teens. ​http://www.reuters.com/article/us-davos-meeting-orchestra-idUSKBN1532N2

Newsroom

​We live in a busy, happening world in which News 24X7 is a norm, whether they matter to us or not. In this section, we reflect on 3 news pieces on money, mind and media, from last quarter that are of relevance to parents .

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